When the ever-unfolding drama of the last chapters of Genesis comes to a climax, Joseph has drawn his father and entire family down to Egypt to weather the remainder of the famine. This wasn’t exactly what Jacob had in mind after all the years he spent in Padan Aram with Laban, building his family. But, this seems to be the story of the Jewish people. Exile upon exile has befallen us since our departure from the Garden of Eden.

Humility and timidity are not the same. Thankfully, it is more-or-less common knowledge now that humility is not about thinking poorly of oneself. Humility is often described in terms of awareness of one’s short-comings, and willingness to learn and grow from the influence and wisdom of others. In terms of a life worthy of the Kingdom, Rav Shaul gives an astonishing exhortation on humility in his letter to the Romans:

This story is, without a doubt, a pearl to me - in fact, I would consider it a suitable bedtime story for (in the distant future) grandchildren of mine. Filled with action and a fantastic ending, this account speaks volumes to us in the realm of decision. Here we have the Sages, the brilliant minds of Israel, having a delightful halachic dispute over the purity status of an oven of a man named Achnai. Indeed, of all the minds, history states that R. Eliezer is said to have been the brightest. Truly, even in this story, it appears that Hashem agrees with R. Eliezer in his decision. But the rest of the Sages do not concur. No way.

For Rav Shaul, “order” was a communal necessity. The gifted congregation in Corinth was instructed to conduct their meetings orderly (1 Cor 14:40). There is a very short phrase in Rav Shaul’s discourse on this matter that deserves particular intention:

Luis Urzua has played a special role in this drama [Chilean mine ordeal]. He is credited with having kept the miners together back in August when there was no hope in sight. When the rescue mission was planned, he chose to be the last miner out. Mr Urzua, 54, known respectfully as Don Lucho by the miners, kept them going for those awful first 17 days, when no one up above even knew they had survived. "For a miner, their shift leader is sacred and holy," rescue official Dr Andreas Llarena told the UK's Guardian newspaper. "They would never think about replacing him. That is carved in stone; it is one of the commandments in the life of a miner." -- bbc.co.uk 10/13/2010